GUELPH, Ontario – The Ministry of Education has just announced its instructions for boards in support of school reopening on September 8, 2020. The dedicated teams from both WCDSB and UGDSB are working hard to ensure that all schools in our community are safe, healthy and inclusive for students and staff returning to school.
While each board will have further details about back-to-school to announce in the coming weeks, both boards wanted the community to know this was what we learned from the Ministry on Thursday:
The first day of school for students remains Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Elementary and secondary students will be attending 5 days a week
Masks will be supplied for all staff in schools
Students in grades 4 – 12 will be mandated to wear cloth masks
Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be encouraged but not required to wear cloth masks
Enhanced health and safety protocols will be in place in each school. All school boards have been provided a document from the Ministry that outlines the specific policies and procedures to ensure student and staff safety.
The Ministry also announced that a new school health monitoring system will be established through a partnership between the ministries of Health and Education, school boards and local public health.
Both boards are working on detailed implementation plans, which they will be sharing in early August. Families are invited to learn more about the individual board plans at:
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